"Ms. Cach has another winner here"
Konstanze Bugg was married to a much older man who abused
her and isolated her from everyone and everything. One
especially dreadful night, she just snaps and realizes she
has to get away immediately. She takes several valuables
from her husband's home, figuring she can sell them, and
heads for Cornwall, to a small cottage left to her by her
uncle. She longs to escape her past, yet remain true to the
promises she made to her deceased mother, an opera singer
whose
talent Konstanze inherited, and takes only
her trusted servant, Hilde. Tom Trewella was Konstanze's late uncle's solicitor,
settling the man's estate. He is also the mastermind behind
the smuggling ring operating out of Penperro, which is how
many of the townspeople make enough money to survive. Upon
meeting Konstanze, he is immediately attracted but
forbidden as she is already married and he has no idea why
she left her husband. Robert Foweather is the chief Preventive officer for the
crown, sent to Penperro to put a stop to the smuggling
centered there that is costing the King thousands of
pounds. As he is investigating a cove one day, he comes
across Konstanze who was there sunbathing on a rock as she
sang. Foweather is struck by the beauty of her song, and
her appearance, and is convinced she is a mermaid. Tom seizes upon Foweather's mistake and convinces Konstanze
to play along. A scheme is born. Konstanze will pose as the
mermaid and make an appearance every time Foweather starts
to get too close to finding the smuggling ring. She will
serve as the distraction necessary to let the smugglers
operate as usual. She disagrees at first but later gives
in, relishing the chance to play at being something more
exotic and exciting than she herself is. This forced
constant contact between Konstanze and Tom causes sparks to
fly and attraction to grow. But it is all bittersweet as
she knows nothing can come of it as she is still married.
Will they be successful in their plot to distract
Foweather? Will they give in to their newfound love and
find a way to be together? This is an exciting story, full of humor and comedies of
errors, as well as plenty of passion to satisfy every
reader. This book is different from Ms. Cach's other books
in that it is not even the slightest bit a paranormal. It
is also far more inspiring of lustful thoughts than many of
her previous works. This book borders on erotica in a few
scenes and is definitely enjoyable to read. The characters are enchanting and will all attract plenty
of attention. From the beautiful and talented Konstanze and
the intelligent mastermind Tom, to the soulful vicar Matt
and the formidable Hilde, and even the bumbling but comedic
Foweather, there is bound to be a favorite for everyone.
Ms. Cach never detracts from the primary storyline, even
with all of the side line plots happening at the same time. Having read all but one of Ms. Cach's previous works, this
reviewer has seen a marked improvement to the talents in
each one, Mermaid of Penperro being the best to date. Ms.
Cach is well on the rise to stardom in the genre,
guaranteed to become a powerhouse of the romance market in
the not too distant future. Each and every book is a
delight, bound to be a keeper. One will certainly be
looking forward to each future book. © Kelley A. Hartsell, 2001. All rights reserved
Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted October 24, 2001
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